Disposable equipment and clothing, plastic dishes and disposable slippers. Alas, our age is an age of disposability.
Good and solid things that are passed down from generation to generation have almost disappeared from our everyday life....
It is not surprising that more and more people miss good, “eternal” things.
Let's take the obligatory (and so unloved) ritual of shaving for every man...
Today today we will probably talk about “dangerous (blade) razors.”
Here's a funny story... At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, of course, there were no “dangerous razors”. There were just razors.
This was later when “safety razor” appeared. In order to make it immediately clear what kind of razors we are talking about, the old ones (which are not safety) began to be called “blade”, and then “dangerous” :) So if you find yourself in 1900, do not even think of calling razors “dangerous”. They won't understand...
The number of brands and manufacturers that existed at that time was so large that today it is difficult to reconstruct the history of their development. Hundreds of small and large enterprises supplied countless razors to the world market. Razors from Solingen have become famous for their first-class deep sharpening. The rustling rustle they make when shaving has earned them the additional name “singing razors.”
The golden age of the straight razor ended in 1895, after an American amateur inventor named King Camp Gillette (his real name) realized his idea of clamping a double-edged blade in a handle holder.
He called his invention the “safety razor.” Indeed, shaving has become much easier and safer.
A short-lived razor blade was born, which revolutionized the life of the male part of humanity. Although the first Gillette razors entered the market only in 1903, the razor history began successfully: already in 1904, 12.4 million units of such razors from different companies were sold!
But let's get back to straight razors. Today, in fact, there is only one serious company left producing “dangerous razors” - the Dovo company, founded in 1906 in Solingen.
Gradually, Dovo acquired many other Solingen brands. Among others is “Bismarck”, a name that has been emblazoned on razors for 150 years and tells connoisseurs about the superior quality of the blade. The decline began in the late 40s. In the 50s, the company employed only 35 employees in the production of razors. In 1987, only 7,000 razors were made for the entire year.
It would seem that the “dangerous razor” has become a useless anachronism today. Like, a disposable machine vest, albeit made of bad plastic and dull quickly, but cheap and fast.
Well, about cheap, I’m not at all sure - have you calculated how much these “cheap disposable” razors cost per year? And in a decade? You will leave a good straight razor as an inheritance to your grandchildren :)
And about “quickly and well” - I completely disagree here too.
The blade of a good "safety" is so sharp that ordinary blades could not even dream of. Also, the blade of a straight razor is very long, which allows you to clean a large area of the face in one stroke. Since the razor is incredibly sharp, any area of skin is shaved no more than twice; those with soft stubble generally touch any area of skin once.
The sharpness and length of the blade means that the razor touches your face a minimum number of times, and you don’t have to scratch your chin a hundred times. Therefore, irritation is minimal.
In addition, a straight razor is ALWAYS equally sharp, it must be straightened BEFORE EVERY shave, so the hair is always shaved well and does not break off. With a conventional razor, when the blade wears out, the hairs begin to be pulled out rather than shaved off, causing damage to both the hair and the skin. Also, torn hair can curl and begin to grow inward. And this includes acne and other troubles.
Which razor to use is, as they say, a personal matter. However, it doesn’t hurt to get acquainted with the opinions of competent people—specialists, that is. So, cosmetologists claim that the most effective shaving is provided by a “dangerous” razor, followed by a safety razor, and only in third place is an electric razor.
In addition, the “dangerous razor” is a whole ritual. Dimensional and leisurely...
Close shaving always starts with preparing the razor. Before use, it needs to be “corrected” on a special belt...
Moreover, you need to do this only on your own, and always turn the blade over only through the back, otherwise you can ruin the razor.
Then beat the foam with a shaving brush, or apply cream on it, carefully and thickly cover the slightly moistened face with foam. Then we take the razor with some special grip (of which there are quite a few), and begin to shave leisurely.
This ritual ends when the face is clean-shaven, then a towel soaked in hot water is applied to the face, and then an herbal after-shave balm is applied to the skin. It feels great, like being born again. There is a deep belief that only after this you can feel truly clean-shaven :)
Of course, shaving with a straight razor is more difficult than with the usual disposable razors...
But there is nothing overly complicated about it. Here I could insert a confusing statement, like: “The index, middle and ring fingers lie on top of the neck of the razor, the little finger is on the tail notch, and the thumb is on the bottom of the neck, resting on the heel. The sting is directed downward.”
In addition to moral and psychological pleasure, we have amazingly soft, fragrant facial skin, any woman will certainly appreciate it. It’s only in pictures that they may like macho men with three-day stubble, but they prefer to kiss well-shaven guys. Further, the stubble after a close shave grows more slowly, and the shave is much cleaner than even multi-blade machines. Some enthusiasts are cautious - they claim that you have to shave with such a razor TWICE less often.
Among the disadvantages, we can note the considerable cost of a set of accessories, the long shaving process, so it is inconvenient to shave like this every day, rushing to work in the morning, but once or twice a week, why not give yourself a gift? Naturally, you also need to be careful both when handling the razor and when shaving. However, you should not consider using this razor such a dangerous undertaking, the rule is simple - do not move the razor horizontally, and everything will be fine.
Yes, close shaving is not a necessity now, nor is it the easiest or cheapest way to shave, but it is one of those ancient rituals that is undeniably enjoyable compared to its more modern counterpart. And it’s simple - a good straight razor, it’s very beautiful:
And finally, when we have definitely determined that a decent retrograde needs a razor (okay, okay - a “dangerous razor”) - it’s time to tell us how to get it into the greedy retrograde paws.
The easiest way is to find a specialized shop and buy a modern-made straight razor there. From country to country, addresses and appearances change - so look for specific addresses yourself. This path naturally has its pros and cons:
The main advantage of buying a new and modern razor (I emphasize “modern new”, but more on that later) is mainly that a straight razor is a very gentle and delicate instrument. It’s easy to ruin it; for example, simply dropping a razor on the floor can ruin it completely. Even a chip on the cutting edge that is invisible to the eye - and the razor will tear the skin, causing irritation or, even worse, cuts, and will also begin to pull out hairs.
Such a razor can be saved by an experienced craftsman (do you know such people in your city?) by re-sharpening it. But most often you will no longer be able to use the razor.
So, when buying a new razor, you have a guarantee that it is well sharpened and without hidden defects....
Although, unfortunately, even this, probably the only benefit from buying a new razor, is no longer one hundred percent.
A very ugly story recently surfaced on the website of a Russian razor store about a factory defect of a brand new Solingen razor. After the first use, the razor blade began to become covered with stains and stains characteristic of rusting. Sellers stated that at the moment, 50% of razors purchased are more or less likely to develop rust.
The point turned out to be that modern manufacturers save on both metal and labor. The manufacturer does not have the opportunity and/or desire to purchase higher quality raw materials for the production of straight razors, or the processing technology is somehow broken. Metal for razors needs to be of very high quality and with special properties. Today, very little of this metal is needed - and this is already a small-scale production, which costs crazy money, and there is no physical or financial opportunity to purchase it from manufacturers, and the existing one is made in violation of technology. In addition, the production of razors to this day requires a lot of manual and HIGHLY SKILLED work. The Germans are forced to accept emigrants from Arab countries to the famous Soling factories - you yourself understand what kind of quality we can talk about. And since razors, in fact, have turned into rare toys for snobs, it looks like they will have to forget about their former quality forever.
The second disadvantage can be considered the price of a new razor. Prices start at $150 for the most modest razors. If you add the price - a straightening belt ($50-100), paste for applying to the belt before straightening the razor, a good shaving brush. It’s good if you manage to keep it to $250-300.
Moreover, the quality of the set will be “very basic”. You have to pay for eccentricities...
So let's say firmly - buying a new razor is not the path for a real retrograde. We will buy a new belt for straightening (but not from crazy resellers) and a shaving brush :)
But we will look for a razor from those times when Solingen was an icon of metallurgy and blacksmithing in Germany, when the city received its status as a city of the best blacksmiths of edged weapons; area, whose craftsmen had the right to put a mark on their products - “Me Fecit Solingen” - (Latin: “I was made in Solingen”).
Let's look for an old razor! But old, not in the sense of used, rusty and scratched...
You won't believe it, but people still have quite a lot of old razors in their original packaging. Never used!
There are quite a few similar auctions on eBay. I use German eBay - it's close. Plus - Lithuania is now Schengen and the European Union, so there are no customs or taxes. Place your bids, pay and receive your items by mail, hassle-free.
Of course, they also sell completely worthless razors:
As you can see, you can buy a razor for little money. After all, it is still unknown whether you will like shaving in such a retrograde way.
And give out serious sums of money for modern show-off “straight razors” of dubious quality? Clearly not the path of a retrograde.
I hope I've piqued your interest a little in these very straight razors. And even if you don’t switch to a straight razor, then after this post, at least sometimes treat yourself to a leisurely ritual of real shaving!
